Irradiating bottle filling machine



Sept. 11, 1945. s. c. WHITMAN IRRADIATING BOTTLE FILLING MACHINE Original Filed April 4, 1941 552404121 6 Wilma 2 I N VEN TOR.

Patented Sept. 11, 1945 IRRADIATING BOTTLE FILLING MACHINE Stewart C. Whitman, deceased, late of New York, N. Y., by Helen Whitman, :adrhinistratrix, New

York, N. Y.

Original application April 4, 1941, Serial No. 386,936. Divided and this application October 29, 1941, Serial No. 417,037

1 Claim.

This application is adivision of an application for patent filed April 4, 1941, Serial No. 386,936, by the said Stewart 0. Whitman, deceased.

This invention relates to a machine for sterilizing liquid and filling bottles with the sterilized 7 liquid.

The main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved construction of machine by which beer, milk or other liquid may be sterilized by means of ultra-violet rays and a plurality of bottles simultaneously filled with the sterilized liquid.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine embodying novel sterilizing means for the purpose whereby the stated operations may be rapidly, eiiiciently and economically carried out. 1

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and as shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view in elevation embodying the invention showing a group of empty bottles which have been sterilized and ready to be transported to a'filling station and a group of bottles at the filling station ready to be transported to a sealing station for capping.

The machine comprises mechanism A at a bottle sterilizing station A, for sterilizing the interiors of a plurality of bottles B at a time, and mechanism C at a filling station C for sterilizing the liquid and filling a like number of bottles B at a time with the liquid immediately after being sterilized. A suitable type of conveyor D movable over a support E and actuated in any suitable manner may be provided for supporting the bottles and transporting the same from station to station.

The mechanism A comprises a. frame support I on which is mounted a. vertically sliding carriage 2 carrying a plurality of ultraviolet ray sterilizers 3 equal in number to the bottles B to be internally sterilized and arranged like the bottles in suitably spaced relationship to each other.

Each of these sterilizers 3 comprises a tube of glass or other suitable material having a bulbous or spherical head portion 4 sealed at its upper end 5 and having a stem portion 6 projecting downwardly therefrom and sealed at its lower end 1. Within the head portion 4 are mounted crater electrodes. A partition l3 of glass or other suitable material is disposed in the. head 4 and. extends downwardly into the stem to a point near the bottom thereof, thus separating the head into chambers in which the electrodes are respectively disposed and dividing the stem into flow channels in communication at their upper ends with the respective chambers and in communication at the bottom of the stem with each other. This partition prevents direct passage of the ultraviolet rays from electrode to electrode and ensures their Passage in upward and downward directions throughout the length of the stem, and so that the radiations will be transmitted through the walls of thestem to the entire interior of the bottle to be treated. The interior surface of head 4 may be coatedor lined with insulating material of a suitable kind to prevent dissipation of the radiations through the walls of the head and cause such radiations to travel through the flow channels.

The sealed upper end 5 of the ultra-violet ray tube has connection electrically, through means not shown, with a transformer 16. A conductor I! is connected with the transformers of the group of tubes for supplying the same with current from a supply line. Any suitable means for controlling the supply of current to the transformers may be employd. Mechanism of "any suitable type, generally indicated at [8,,may be provided for raising and lowering the carriage to dispose the stems of the tubes within the bottles B for a sterilizing action, and thereafter raising the stems out of the bottles to permit the bottles to be moved forward to the filling station C. By means of the bottle sterilizing mechanism above described the interior of the bottles 13 may be rendered sterile and ready to be filled with the sterilized liquid.

The sterilizing and filling means at station C comprises a suitable overhead receptacle or storage tank H) for gravity supply of the liquid and which may be divided into compartments for delivering different liquids to different sterilizers or for the purpose of ensuring a uniform supply of liquid to each sterilizer of a group. Between this receptacle or source of supply of the liquid and the bottles B to be filled are ultraviolet liquid sterilizing units 20 mounted between upper and lower members 20a and 20b of a frame which may support the receptacle l9. Each of the sterilizing units 20 comprises an ultraviolet tube 2| having upper and lower enlarged portions 22 and 23 and an elongated cylindrical portion 24, the portion 24 at least being formed of glass having high transmission of ultraviolet. Surrounding the cylindrical portion 24 and connected to the portions 22 and 23 is an outer cylinder filling members 30.

25, thereby forming an annular channel through which liquid may flow surrounding the cylindrical portion 24 of the tube and in contact therewith. A liquid inlet connection 26 is provided at the upper end of the cylinder 25 for the introduction of the liquid thereinto, and this connection- 26' is in communication with a feed ipe 21 leading from the receptacle I9. This pipe 21 may be provided with a controlling valve 28 whereby the flow of liquid to the sterilizer may be controlled. At the lower end of the cylinder 25 is an outlet connection 29 to which is coupled a hose bib 30 or other discharge device for the discharge of the sterilized liquid intoa bottle. Crater electrodes 31 and '32 are respectively provided in the enlarged upper and lower end of the ultraviolet tube and suitably supported by the lower electrode 32 is a mercury containing cup 33. At the upper and lower ends of the ultraviolet tubesuitable screw bases or plugs 34 and 34' are provided for connection with transformers 35 and 36 carried by the frame members 20a and 28b, whereby provision is made for the detachable mounting of the sterilizers on the frame bars and for connecting the electrodes with current supply lines 31 and 38, through which the supply of current to the tubes may be controlled in any suitable manner. 7

It will be understood that after the bottles B have been sterilized internally by the sterilizing devices at station A, they are moved forwardly into proper position at station C to be filled with sterilized liquid introduced thereinto through the In-practice, the valves 28 may be controlled to open communication between the receptacle l9 and the sterilizing units 20 for the flow of liquid to all the sterilizers simul taneously. in sufiicient quantity to supply the bottles B whichxare in filling position, after which .the flow of liquid to the sterilizing units may be out 01f. Theliquid thus supplied to the sterilizing units and. flowing through the cylinders 25 will be irradiated byithe action of the ultraviolet tubes,

which may beset into operation during this feed period only, so that conservation of current may be. efiected and unduevexposure of the liquid to the action of the ultraviolet rays prevented. Suitablemeans for timing theaction of the ultraviolet tubes may be provided for this purpose. After the bottles B are so filled they are moved forward from the filling station 0 to a capping station at which they are capped or otherwise sealed, and during this operation bottles B which have been previously internally sterilized are fed up to station C' while a new set of empty bottles is fed up to station A. It will be understood that the liquid to be sterilized may be water, beer, wine or any other kind of liquid which it is desired to store in containers in a sterile condition.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawing, the construction and mode of operation of the irradiating bottle filling machine will be readily understood and it will be seen that a simple, reliable and efficient type of machine is provided whereby a plurality of bottles may be internally sterilized and thereafter filled with sterilized liquid in a rapid and economical manner. While the organization disclosed is preferred, it is to be understood that changes in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing irom the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

What is claimed as new and patentable is:

A sterilizing filler for a liquid sterilizing and bottle filling machine comprising an inner ultraviolet tube straight throughout its' length and having laterally expanded upper and lower head and base portions projecting radially from the tube and forming chambers of appreciably greater diameter than the tube, crater electrodes disposed in the chambers in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the tube, and an outer tubular envelope of less diameter than the expanded head and base portions surrounding the tube and spaced therefrom and extending between and supeating with said passage at its lower end.

I HELEN WHITMAN, Admmzstratrz'rc of the Estate of StewartC. Whit man, Deceased. 

